Sunday, March 11, 2007

Al Gore = Henny Penny

According to Wikipedia, global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. Former Vice President has appointed himself the world's gadfly on the issue, and has won accolades from the save-the-whale set for his efforts. (The cynical view is that he is using the issue as a medium for shedding his "Wooden Al" persona in an effort to garner support for an '08 run for prez).

Let's big picture this thing.

First, who with a functioning brain would expect the earth NOT to be warming? Think about it - the sheer number of warm human bodies has multiplied hundreds of times in the last millenium. Even the most primitive cultures start fires, and the most developed among us heat our dwellings and drive vehicles powered by combustion engines. In other words, Al, damn straight human activity is warming the earth! And since there are more of us every day, expect that trend to continue.

Second, no one really knows just how quickly the earth is heating up, and no one knows what the effects are going to be, either short or long run. The earth is too big and long term weather patterns too complex to understand with much certainty. Anyone who claims too strongly to the contrary is reading tea leaves. Myopia sets in when such calculations are made. For example, while arctic glaciers might melt (massive flooding!), have the geniuses making such calculations factored in the additional moisture that the warmer atmosphere will hold?

Third, any effects will come about gradually. The sky is not going to just cave in one day, Al.

Fourth, in the big picture, who cares if the world does warm up? Will it be such a tragedy if we lose some coastline in Florida? If you can grow produce in Illinois? If there is an uptick in severe storms?

Finally, given the vast and diverse number of persons and activities on this earth, it is highly unlikely that trivial and silly efforts by developed countries to 'reduce greenhouse gases' will have any meaningful effect. In other words, by far the greatest contributors to global warming are non-discretionary: we need to generate heat to warm our homes, manufacture goods, and transport people and things around the world. Even if everyone on the earth started using solar power tomorrow, think about the aggregate amount of heat from sunlight that we would be trapping and absorbing!

Global warming is inevitable. Enjoy it and think about moving to Minnesota.